Author(s)

Fernand Guy Yao^1*, Kouadio Amani¹, Brou Kouame¹, Jean Lopez Essehi¹, Brahima Kone², Kouadio Houphouet³, Cheikh Ahmed Diawara⁴, Bala Mamadou Ouattara⁵, Albert Yao-Kouame²

¹Central Laboratory, Soils, Water and Plants (LCSEP), National Agricultural Research Center (CNRA), Bouaké, Ivory Coast.
²Soil, Water and Geomaterials Sciences Laboratory (LS2EG), Earth Sciences and Mining Resources Training and Research Unit (UFR STRM), University Félix Houphouët-Boigny of Cocody-Abidjan, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
³Cotton Research Station, National Agricultural Research Center (CNRA), Bouaké, Ivory Coast.
⁴Food Crops Research Station, National Agricultural Research Center (CNRA), Bouaké, Ivory Coast.
⁵Department of Geography, Unit of Training and Research (UFR) Communication, Environment and Society, University Alassane Ouattara, Bouaké, Ivory Coast.

In Côte d’Ivoire, the decline in soil fertility strongly impacts the productivity of maize (Zea mays L.) on heavily leached ferralitic soil. In this study, the general objective was therefore to improve the productivity of maize EV87-28 on the Ferralsols in pre-forested areas during different cropping seasons. Eight (8) micro-plots were set up according to a total randomization device with three repetitions. Two factors were studied: nitrogen fertilizer modalities (main factor) and crop season (secondary factor). Growth, flowering and yield parameters were measured and analyzed. The results showed that there was no interaction between the nitrogen fertilizer factor and the cropping season factor. In addition, this study showed the short rainy season had the most positive impact on growth, flowering and yield parameters than the long rainy season. The results also showed that the different nitrogen fertilizer modalities had no statistically different effects on growth, flowering and yield parameters. However, quantitative differences were reported, highlighting one nitrogen fertilizer modality, which is the combination of urea granule + farm manure (75% urea indorama granules and 25% farm manure). The combination of urea granule + farm manure (75% urea indorama granules and 25% farm manure) had the best effect on corn grain yield. So, the combination of urea (75%) and manure (25%), that resulted in yield gain, could be recommended for corn fertilization during the small rainy season.

Indorama Granular Urea, Ferralsol, Cultural Seasons, Maize, Ivory Coast

Yao, F. , Amani, K. , Kouame, B. , Essehi, J. , Kone, B. , Houphouet, K. , Diawara, C. , Ouattara, B. and Yao-Kouame, A. (2024) Response of the Maize Variety EV87-28 to a Fertilization Strategy Involving Indorama Granular Urea on Ferralsol in the Central Ivory Coast. Agricultural Sciences, 15, 187-208. doi: 10.4236/as.2024.151011.